The present invention relates to monitoring systems and methods for measuring and transmitting physical and environmental parameters associated with or in the immediate vicinity of high voltage electrical transmission line conductors. More specifically, the invention relates to monitoring systems and methods including sensor modules which may be mounted on and removed from energized power conductors, and which carry a plurality of sensing means for measuring or otherwise responding to various weather parameters and phenomena, as well as certain physical features of the conductors. The invention is also concerned with the various sensing devices carried by the line-mounted sensor modules. In all cases, the invention is limited to systems and methods wherein signals commensurate with the measured or observed data is communicated via a Geosynchromous Orbiting Environmental Satellite (GOES). Present facilities for gathering weather data over a wide geographic area, while vastly superior to those available some years ago, are still essentially macroscopic in nature. Weather satellites are a fairly recent example of improvements in data gathering means. In order to obtain meaningful data, even with the assistance of such satellites, it is necessary to set up ground-based stations in many locations to measure or observe ongoing weather phenomena and transmit RF signals via the satellite to an earth receiving and processing location. Since a reliable electrical power source and periodic maintenance operations are required at each measuring and transmitting station, many of which are located in remote areas, the cost of a comprehensive data gathering system quickly escalates.
Many areas of human endeavor are intimately affected by and dependent upon the weather, both present and future (forecasted). For example, access to real-time weather data in relatively closely spaced locations throughout power transmission corridors would assist utilities in scheduling a dispatching line crews, as well as in the design and maintenance of equipment to be placed in specific areas. In addition to weather data, it is desirable that power utilities are able to obtain accurate and timely information regarding the most critical spans and other data concerning overhead electrical transmission lines, to provide sufficient data for accurate load forecasting and selection of optimum Basic Insulation Levels (BIL) to prevent lightning storm damage. The absence of accurate on-line information results in over design of equipment or higher than necessary safety margins. It is thus apparent that a weather and conductor parameter monitoring system designed to utilize a weather satellite would be beneficial to power utilities, and thus to the users of such utilities. Likewise, the availability of weather data from the large number of locations in which sensing modules could be mounted along power corridors would be beneficial to the government and public in general. The present invention is directed to a system providing such mutual benefits at an economically feasible cost.